Him
by skigrrrrrrrl
Summary: ¤Finally Updated!!!¤Liz's fears are confirmed. Will Anthony be able to fix everything?? Will Liz forgive him??R/R please
1. Singing in the Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own the cast of Lizzie McGuire, I just write them. So, don't sue.

A/N: Hey. This is my new story, even though this is the last chapter of "Friends for life". I started this story because no one reviewed the other one and also because I decided that this would be better to develop as another story. For more info on this subject (In case what it says here makes no sense), read the authors note in "Friends For Life". I changed some things, so don't just ignore it because you've already read it.

P.S. Ethan may seem a bit smarter; this is only because his stupidity annoys me.

Chapter 1. Singing In The Rain

"I can't believe it's already our senior year!" a blonde told her best friend who was driving her new silver Mitsubishi.

"Yeah, it seems like it was yesterday when you guys were drooling over Ethan in junior high," laughed a guy with unruly dark hair and green eyes from the back seat.

"Ha ha, Gordo. Can you blame us?" Retorted the brunette from the driver's seat. "Speaking of Ethan, we're here."

Ethan Craft was throwing a "Last Day of Summer" bash at his house. Liz, as she now called herself, had grown out of her obsession with Ethan in 9th grade, and had had several boyfriends throughout her high school career, while Miranda finally won over Ethan's affections and they had been going out for about a year.

The three best friends walked up to the front door and were greeted by Ethan. 

"Hey sweetie," Ethan smiled at Miranda and gave her a quick kiss. "Yo, David. Hey Liz. What's up?"

"Not much," they replied as the walked through the open door.

Music was blaring at full volume near the pool at the back of Ethan's house. Some people were dancing, while others were just hanging around the pool.

 Liz stripped down to her light blue two-piece bathing suit that flattered her curves; Miranda did the same and revealed a leopard-print bikini.

"Awesome bathing suit, Mir." 

"Thanks, yours too," smiled Miranda.

A tall, slim, dark-haired girl walked up to Liz and Miranda.

"Hey!" greeted the girl.

"Hey Steph. What's up?" smiled Liz.

"Hey. Let me guess, Steph, looking for your Prince Charming?" laughed Miranda.

The three girls laughed.

"Actually, Mir, I am. Where is he?"

"Gordo's right there talking to Tudgeman."  Said Miranda pointing towards the food table.

"Thanks!" Steph headed off towards her boyfriend.

Liz stared at her as she approached Gordo and the two kissed. * They make a good couple; it's weird how they hadn't gotten together until last month. * Stephanie, or Steph as she was called by most, had met the trio during their freshman year. She was head cheerleader, but always hung out with Liz, Miranda, and Gordo instead of the jocks and cheerleaders. Steph sort of filled the void that had been left by Kate in junior high. Steph was wanted by every guy in school and envied almost every girl, yet she never took advantage of that. She had only had a few boyfriends before Gordo, and she didn't act like a bitch towards anyone, with the exception of Kate and Claire who always kept trying to make her life miserable.

Someone interrupted Liz's thoughts, "Liz, earth to Liz!"

Startled, Liz said "What?"

"It's rude to stare, girl," answered a smiling Miranda.

"Oh, sorry," Liz replied noticing that she had probably been staring at Steph and Gordo for a long time.

"So, what were you thinking of?"

"I was just thinking of what a good couple those two make."

"You're right, who would've known that two of our best friends would end up going out with each other?"

"Yeah," muttered Liz, "Who would've known?"

* Was that a hint of jealousy I detected in her eyes? * Thought Miranda. * Couldn't be, they've known each other for too long, they were never interested in each other like that*

"Liz, are you-" Miranda was interrupted as she dropped into the pool with a big splash. She came out of the water and saw a laughing Ethan.

"Ethan!! I'm gonna kill you" Miranda jumped out of the water and started chasing her boyfriend. The chase went on for a few minutes before Ethan scooped Miranda up and jumped into the pool with her in his arms. In the pool, they started a splash fight.

Everyone was screaming and squealing as everyone ended up being thrown into the pool. Liz was watching all of this fiasco from a bench near the pool, she was sort of bored and felt lonely. She stood up and started heading towards the food table, when suddenly she plunged deep into the pool.

"Urgh!" Liz fumed and looked around. "Who did that?"

Suddenly, the hottest guy Liz had ever seen popped his head out of the water and shook his head to get the water off his face. "Sorry, I hope you're not too mad. You just looked sort of sad and I thought you needed to have some fun. I'm Anthony, by the way."

Liz was speechless; she just kept staring at Anthony's eyes. They were an incredibly deep shade of greenish-blue. "Um, hi, I'm Elizabeth McGuire, but call me Liz. I'm not mad, I just didn't really expect that." She kept on staring at Anthony, not only did he have the cutest eyes, he had a gorgeous body too.

"Well," he said, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "I guess you won't expect this either." Anthony splashed Liz. They both laughed, and they ended up playing around in the pool for the rest of the afternoon. When they got tired, they both exited the pool and sat down on a nearby bench to talk as they dried off.

"So, I'm assuming you're new here since I've never seen you before," mentioned Liz.

"Yeah, I'm new here. I just moved here from England. My dad moves around a lot because of his job and he was being transferred to Germany for a year, and I didn't want to go. So they sent me here to live with my cousin and finish high school."

"Oh, who's your cousin?" asked Liz. 

"Ethan."

* Ethan Craft?! No wonder Anthony's so hot, it must run in the family! * Thought Liz with a smile.

"Whoa, that's so cool. Ethan's a really nice guy."

"I don't know him too well, we don't really see much of each other."

They talked for a long while and it seemed as they were in their own little world. The more they talked, the more Liz liked him. After a while, it began to rain and everyone headed inside.

"It's raining," said Liz standing up from the bench and started heading inside along with everyone else.

"So? Come on, McGuire," Anthony took Liz by her hand and they both started jumping up and down in the rain like little kids. They ended up rolling on the grass laughing their heads off. 

They were covered in mud, but they didn't care. When they both stood up, Anthony pulled Liz closer and gave her a soft, gentle kiss. Liz was stunned, but eagerly kissed him back. The kiss was amazing, unlike any kiss Liz had ever had. A sort of electrical charge went through her body.

Liz pulled back as a ray of lightning crossed the sky. "I think that's our cue to go in." 

"Your wish is my command, milady." Said Anthony with a fake British accent as he carried Liz inside.   

Liz asked Ethan for permission to quickly take a shower so she could get all the mud off, Ethan agreed. "Sure, go ahead. Second door to the right".

After she was cleaned up, she changed into her clothes, which were a pair of tight jean shorts and a light blue tank top. * I should've brought a sweatshirt *

She walked down the stairs to find everyone sprawled on the floor and sitting on the couch. Various couples, including Gordo and Steph, were making out on the floor. A hint of hurt clouded Liz's eyes as she watched Gordo and Steph, but it "cleared up" once she saw Anthony sitting on a chair talking to Ethan and Miranda. Miranda was sitting on Ethan's lap and they kissed every once in a while.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" asked Liz when she walked towards Anthony, referring to sitting on his lap.

"Go ahead."

"Hey Mir. I'm assuming you've met." Liz said, referring to Miranda and Anthony.

"Yeah" Miranda smiled as she mouthed 'hottie'.

'I know' Liz mouthed back and struggled to keep from laughing.

The four of them talked for a while, until Ethan and Miranda got busier with each other than with the conversation. Liz was getting really cold and she wrapped her arms around herself. Anthony noticed Liz was shivering and offered her his sweatshirt.

"Thanks," Liz smiled as she put it on and smelled Anthony's cologne.

"No prob." He put his arms around her and they cuddle on the couch.

After a few more talks and a bunch of more kisses, they stood up and it was time to go home.

Anthony put his arms around Liz's waist, kissed her, and the whispered in her ear "See you tomorrow." After a final kiss, everyone said goodbye.

She got home half an hour later. She was floating on air as she walked up to her room and flung herself on to the bed. She would have never expected this, but it had been an awesome day. She drifted off to sleep, with the happy thoughts of the day swimming around in her head.


	2. Ballons Always Deflate

Disclaimer: I don't own the cast of Lizzie McGuire, I only own Anthony, which is a pretty good thing to own. (lol). So, don't sue me!  
  
A/N: Another chapter in my new story...  
  
Anyways, here goes. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤  
  
Chapter 2: Balloons Always Deflate  
  
A ray of sun shone through Liz's window and reflected against the ball- shaped crystals. A small, glimmering ray hit Liz in the eye and it fluttered open. The blonde smiled and looked out the window onto the familiar California view. The light blue sky has a hint of orange as the sun arose from behind the mountains. The whole view was perfectly serene.  
  
*Nothing can dampen my mood today, everything's perfect * thought Liz as she escaped from the warm comfort of her bed. She was still floating on air from the previous day. It's weird how you can know a person for such a little time and still feel such a strong connection to him. Liz couldn't get Anthony off her mind.  
  
Liz walked over to her closet to get dressed. As she walked by, she noticed the picture that stood on her dresser. A picture that was taken during the summer between 8th and 9th grade; a picture that showed the boy she has had feelings towards for so long. A picture of her and Gordo. She pushed the thoughts and emotions that started to come back up to the back of her head and started changing. She picked out a dark blue pair of low-rise jeans and a small white tee with a butterfly on it. She tied her hair in a loose braid and walked downstairs.  
  
" 'Morning Mom." Called Liz as she made her way down the stairs.  
  
"Hi honey. Excited for your first day of school?"  
  
In her head, Liz chuckled. It amazed her how her mom hadn't changed a bit from when Liz was still in junior high. "Yeah Mom. I'm bubbling over with joy" she said laughing. Liz took the keys to her car and headed towards the door, "Bye mom".  
  
Jo smiled and her eyes got teary as she thought about how her 'baby' was growing up.  
  
Liz headed out the door and drove off in her blue Toyota. As she took the familiar route to school, she thought back at everything that school had meant in her life. The chaos with her school picture, the fights with Kate in the halls, hanging out with her two best friends. *As much as we hated it, school has played a huge role in out lives. And it's the last year we have together. * she thought as she stopped in front of the white, two story house. A tall, curly haired boy came running out the door.  
  
"Hey Liz."  
  
"Hey Gordo. Hop in"  
  
Gordo opened the passenger side door and got in. The ride to school was a awkward and silent one. It was as though neither one wanted to say anything. Breaking the awful silence Liz said, "So. how are things with you and Steph?"  
  
"Um," Gordo said almost nervously, "Everything's great." * Yeah, everything would be great if it was the girl I really loved * he thought as he glanced at his best friend.  
  
Liz noticed something was wrong, but decided not to push it. They finally reached the school and Liz took in the sight of the redbrick building where she had spent so many days of her life. As she contemplated, she parked the car in the student parking lot and got out. She walked towards the entrance of the school, where a group of seniors were hanging around. Liz found Anthony talking with Ethan and a bunch of his friends. He turned and smiled at her, but shot her a questioning look when he saw her walking next to Gordo. When Liz reached the spot where Anthony was (Gordo still trailing behind her), Anthony protectively put his arm around Liz's waist and whispered "Who is he?" into her ear, in a hurt voice.  
  
"Oh, I guess you haven't officially met." Liz mentioned as she turned to Gordo. "Gordo, this is Anthony. Anthony, this is my friend Gordo." She emphasized the word friend but she didn't only do it for Anthony.  
  
Each of the guys greeted each other. Gordo looked hurt, but Liz didn't notice. He didn't even have time to think about it, since Steph ran up to him and kissed him.  
  
When they parted, Steph warmly greeted everyone else. "So, the start of another year in the hell-hole some people like to call school." Everyone laughed at the comment.  
  
There was no more time for conversation, since the bell rang. Everyone headed inside. The halls were bustling, everything was a mess. But it was a sort of comfort, like a "Home Sweet Home" type of thing.  
  
As she walked through the halls, towards her homeroom Liz laughed at all the poor confused freshman. She remembered when she was a freshman, confused and totally lost. *It's a tough year, but everyone goes through it *  
  
She was so lost in her thoughts that she ran into Miranda. "Sorry Mir," she laughed.  
  
"No worries, Liz. Do you have Ms. Stebbel for homeroom too?"  
  
"Yeah," she replied as the two walked into the classroom. In it, were Gordo, Ethan, Anthony, Kate, Claire, and a bunch of other people.  
  
"Bleh." Said Miranda as she, too, noticed everyone in the class.  
  
"Yeah, but it could be worse," whispered Liz as she took her seat in behind Gordo and next to Anthony. Liz kept on talking to Miranda and Gordo, but in the corner of her eye she noticed Claire talking and obviously flirting with Anthony.  
  
Liz winced as she saw Claire put her hand on Anthony's arm and whisper something in his ear. The both laughed. Tears welled up in Liz's eyes as she saw a small piece of paper with Claire's phone number appear on Anthony's desk. * I can't compete with that, I never could. *  
  
Meanwhile, Claire smiled at herself in congratulations for her success. Anthony would be hers in a small matter of time. She laughed to herself when she saw the tears in Liz's eyes. *McGuire doesn't stand a chance. *  
  
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A/N: Finally! I finished. It took me such a long time to get over the writer's block! Please review, the next chapter will be up as soon as I can.  
  
P.S. Special thanks to Trillian for her help, and to keeponwritin for being the first person to review. 


	3. A Very Long First Period

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, so don't sue.  
  
A/N: Hey again. Thanks for all the reviews.  
  
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Chapter 3:  
  
Liz was silent for the rest of the period. She just slumped on top of her desk and stared blankly at nothing in particular, while she pondered over her thoughts. She didn't even notice that the principal's welcome speech was blaring over the PA system.  
  
*Why doesn't he notice that Claire is obviously flirting with him? No one is that blind! Does he like her? But what about me? What about yesterday? Am I blowing this out of proportion? Or is it for real? *  
  
All of these thoughts were flying through Liz's head, but the last thought seemed to comfort her. She was probably imagining all of this.  
  
*Yeah, it's probably all in my head *  
  
She leaned back in her chair and smiled; her spirits renewed. Still, there was a hint of doubt in her hazel eyes.  
  
Liz didn't notice, but beside her Claire's flirting was still going on strong. She was determined to get Anthony and squish Liz along the way.  
  
Meanwhile, Miranda was staring at her best friend's troubled face.  
  
*I wonder what's wrong * she thought. * She looked so happy yesterday- well except for when she was staring at Steph and Gordo. Could that be it? Is she jea- *  
  
The brunette's thoughts were interrupted, once again. This time, by a tickling hand up her back. That was her ticklish spot and Miranda burst out laughing.  
  
The class was suddenly silent and some students turned around to stare at Miranda. Ms. Stebble looked up from her desk and said, "Settle down please, Ms. Sanchez"  
  
"Sorry," gulped Miranda. She turned around and gave Ethan a dirty look.  
  
Ethan just did his "pity me, I'm cute" face and Miranda couldn't help but smile. "Sorry honey," he whispered.  
  
Up front, Gordo was looking directly at the empty blackboard in the room. He wasn't paying any attention whatsoever to what was being said or done. The thoughts he had earlier were slowly making there way back. Back into the head of the curly haired boy who wished nothing more but to erase them from his mind. A face appeared on the "screen" in his head. A face he had known his whole life, the face of the girl he grew up with. The film playing in the theatre in his head was about his life. The seventeen long years of his life. It's amazing how you can feel so old, yet so young at the same time. Gordo had been through a lot, and most of his memories involved the blonde girl with the smile that lit up any room.  
  
Gordo always knew he loved Lizzie, he just didn't know if he was in love. Whatever the feelings were, new ones replaced them when Steph came. The newer, stronger feelings were no longer directed towards Liz, but towards the new, stunning dark-haired girl.  
  
As if she had read his mind, Steph reached over from her chair and grabbed Gordo's hand. He looked at her and stared at the small twinkle in her eyes. Thoughts of Liz fled from his head. Gordo squeezed her hand and smiled.  
  
All of a sudden, the small handful of students who were actually paying attention to the principal's speech cheered and applauded. Apparently, the "Welcome Back" dance had been announced to be held in three weeks. It was as if the students had turned into 13 year-olds again and a room full of excited teenagers replaced the class who was so bored and silent.  
  
Liz sighed, the period seemed to last for hours and all she wanted was to go home and relax. She was only one hour into her first day of school and she was already aching to get out. The bell rang, marking the end of the first period. *One down, six to go * she thought half-heartedly.  
  
Her other classes dragged on just like first period. It was always like this on the first day of school. It was a complete waste of time, well not really but it is when you're in a bad mood. The students just go around and meet the teachers while each teacher explains what they'll be doing during the school year. It was incredibly dull, but it helped a student get used to being in school again.  
  
When lunch finally rolled around, Liz thought * Finally! It feels like I've been in here forever! * But her head was still a jumble with her worries about Anthony and Claire. Besides, just thinking about all the stuff they had to do this school year gave her a headache. Liz just wanted to sit down for a while and forget about everything.  
  
As she got to her locker, she noticed a guy leaning casually against a locker. Liz just kept walking to her locker. There, she found Anthony with a troubled look ion his face. Liz gave him a small smile and said, "Hi, what are you doing here?"  
  
Anthony stepped back and pretended to be hurt by the comment. "What? A guy can't wait by his girlfriend's locker?"  
  
Liz wasn't sure if she should smile at the comment of cry. "So, I'm your girlfriend now?" she said, looking at the floor.  
  
"If you want to be. Why? Is something wrong?" Anthony replied as he lifted Liz's chin and looked directly into her eyes.  
  
"I want to, but."  
  
"But what?" Anthony inquired.  
  
"What about Claire? You looked pretty cozy with her this morning." Liz was trying to hold back tears.  
  
"Is that what you're worried about?" he asked. "I knew she was flirting with me this morning, but I wouldn't do anything. I'm not that type of guy." Liz smiled, a genuine smile. She was so glad to hear him say that. She reached up and kissed him.  
  
A few meters away, a certain dark, curly haired, jealous girl was staring intently at the couple. *This cannot go on. I will get Anthony, and I'll squash McGuire in the way. *  
  
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A/N: You were probably expecting something more exciting, and I'm not going to give anything away but don't think this story is predictable *clears throat suggestively*. Something will happen. I'll post the next chapter soon, just remember to review. Thanks. 


	4. Stars and a Key

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, niente, nada, NOTHING! Me no own, you no sue.

A/N: Hey hey! It's meeeeeeeeeeeeee. Lol. New chapter, this is sort of just filling that leads up to the exciting point in the story, so bear with me.

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Chapter 4

The rest of the day and the week passed blissfully for Liz. She was floating on air. She now knew that Anthony wouldn't have anything to do with Claire. It gave her a new sense of confidence. Now, almost every second of her days were spent with Anthony. They would spend every afternoon hanging out or talking on the phone.

That Friday night, they had the Craft house all to themselves. Ethan was on a date with Miranda and his parents were at a business party. After eating Chinese take-out, they settled on the porch swing that overlooked the backyard.

"Wow, look at the sky," said Liz in awe. "It's so beautiful."

The night sky looked like a velvet sheet, lightly sprinkled with glitter. The stars all twinkled slowly. The view was breathtaking and it was perfect.

"Yeah, but there's something even more beautiful I'd rather look at," mentioned Anthony sweetly. Liz blushed.

Everything was so overwhelming. New school year, new boyfriend… *Yeah, one that makes me feel like a princess. * She leaned back and laid her head on his chest. Anthony put his arms around her. They laid there, listening to each other breathe totally at peace. 

Liz couldn't believe that they had only met less than a week ago, right here. It seemed like so much longer. Liz trusted Anthony, now, and told him things she never even told Miranda and Gordo. It was weird, but a good weird. *Definitely a good weird. *

Anthony was thinking the same thing about Liz as he gazed at the vast, glimmering sky. He felt like he was a small grain of sand; a meaningless speck. * But a perfectly content speck * he thought. His thoughts were interrupted by Liz.

"Look," she quietly, but excitedly said as she pointed towards the sky, "A shooting star." She looked up and smiled at Anthony. 

He smiled back and said, "Make a wish." He stared intently at Liz's face. It was so perfect, he couldn't ask for anything better. He looked at her as she opened her eyes. Liz blushed as she noticed that he was staring at her. "So, can I make your wish come true?" Anthony leaned in and kissed her.

The next night, the whole gang decided to go to the movies together. Ethan, Miranda, Liz, and Anthony drove together to the movie theatre. They would meet Gordo and Steph there. In the car, the all joked around and sang very off tune to the songs playing on the radio. 

*This is great. What else could you ask for? Just hanging out with friends. * Liz thought to herself. Her insides hurt from laughing so hard. This was definitely one of those 'Kodak moments'.

They reached the movie theater a while later. Steph and Gordo were waiting for them, tickets in hand. 

"It's about time," said Gordo. 

"Nice to see you too, Gordo" teased Miranda with a smile. "Anyways, what movie are we watching?"

Gordo opened his mouth to answer, but the bitch posse, who had made their way over to the group, cut him off.

"Well, hello. Fancy meeting you here," said Kate.

*Why must they be here? Having to tolerate them at school is punishment enough.* Liz thought to herself.

"So McGuire," said Claire in her usual snobby tone, " Nice to see you finally got yourself a social life." She was clearly checking Anthony out while she said it. *Shit he's hot. He'll be mine in a matter of time. *

Liz was about to retort, but Miranda stopped her. "Don't do it." Miranda had noticed the way Claire acted around Anthony, and she knew it really hurt Liz. Still, if Liz said anything it would turn into something worse. So Liz just breathed deeply and kept quiet.

"I must say, that this time you picked well. Very well," said Claire as she winked at Anthony. 

Liz's face fell. She was hurt, angry, and felt the need to slap Claire across the face. Miranda stooped her, once again. Everyone stayed quiet, unsure of what todo.

Breaking the silence, Steph said, "Come on guys, let's go inside." 

They did, and Liz's anger subdued. As they settled into the movie theatre, the thoughts that had been endlessly running through Liz's head during the first day of school all came pouring back. Claire clearly had her sights set on Anthony and it was a known fact that she got any guy she wanted. All of this was giving her a headache, so she tried to do the impossible task of clearing her mind.

                *I know he said he wouldn't do anything with Claire, but I can't shake off the feeling that something awful is going to happen, * Liz thought as she stared blankly ahead, at the movie screen that started showing trailers. She wasn't paying any attention at what was going on. Her eyes were clouded with concern and her mind was a jumble. 

Anthony reached over and interlaced his fingers with Liz's. She turned towards him and smiled as she squeezed it a little. They both turned to face the screen, but only one of them was paying attention.

Meanwhile, the other two couples were clearly more interested in themselves that in the movie, and spent the two hours making out.  They occasionally stopped for air, but went right back at it.

When the movie ended, they said goodbye and went their different ways. Gordo, Steph, Ethan, and Miranda went in Gordo's car while Anthony and Liz went in Ethan's. Anthony would be dropping Liz off, but they made a little detour. They parked the car in front of the moonlight park, and got out.

The tall trees obstructed the view to the sparkling, dark sky. Still, light from the moon shone through the small spaces between the tress and formed intricate patterns on the grass. Anthony led the blonde over to an old oak tree. They sat down and stared at the sky. They laid there together in silence, until Anthony finally spoke up. 

"Is something wrong? You look worried."

Liz didn't say anything; she just looked down and started playing with a piece of grass. She couldn't tell him what she was thinking. She wasn't sure what was going around in her head.

"Come on, you can tell me. If this is about what happened with that girl Claire, I told you not to worry about it." Anthony stood up and Liz followed. Seeing that Liz still wasn't talking, Anthony said, "Ok, you don't have to talk but at least take this." He put his hand in his pocket and took out a small box.

Liz asked, "Um, what is it?"

"Open it," Anthony replied. He waited anxiously as she opened the small box. 

When she opened it, Liz's eyes opened wide. It was beautiful; a simple silver bracelet with one charm on it: a small key. She was speechless; it was a really great gift. She wrapped her arms around Anthony's neck and hugged him tightly. 

Anthony hugged her back. "It's a 'key to my heart' sort of thing. I know who probably think it's really corny. If you don't like it, I can return it or exchange it or…"

"No. I really love it. And I…love you." 

Anthony grinned widely and said, "Me too."

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A/N: I know this chapter was pure fluff and most of you probably want to throw up. *hands out buckets and napkins * But, please, please, PLEASE bear with me. I promise the next chapter will be more exciting. If I don't keep my promise, I invite you all to hit me with sticks *hands out sticks *.

I just need one little favor, please review! I get discouraged when people don't review!

Also, I know it may seem improbable that they're saying the L word when they've known each other for like a week, but these things could happen (In a perfect world). Hehe.

Bye!


	5. Toddler's Law: If I Want It, It's Mine

A/N: Hi once again!! I must say that I was expecting more reviews, but I'll continue anyways, thanks to those f you who did review. The chapter is pretty short, sorry. : (

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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Chapter 5: Toddler's Murphy's Law: If I want it, it's mine.

"So," said Liz as she talked to Miranda on the phone, "Wanna go shopping tomorrow?"

"Sure. We can start looking for things to wear to the dance," Miranda replied.

"Good idea. We should tell Steph too," suggested the blonde.

"I'll call her right now. So it's decided tomorrow afternoon, we're hitting the mall. I gotta go, Liz. Bye!"

"Bye Mir." Answered Liz.

                Liz had the house to herself, since her parents were with Matt at his soccer championship, so she planned to spend the afternoon curled up in front of the TV. The Sunday morning was a lousy one. The weather was cloudy and it was pretty chilly. Liz just hugged the blanket around her and lazily changed the channel.

*I'm so bored!! Still, a day off isn't that bad. It's still pretty boring, though. * She thought to herself. Liz grunted as the phone rang. She got up from the couch and ran to the kitchen to answer the ringing phone.

"McGuire residence" Liz said automatically.

"Hey Liz," said the voice coming from the end of the phone line.

"Oh, hi" greeted Liz as she sank into the chair by the kitchen phone.

"So, how are you?" asked Anthony.

"Um, pretty bored I guess. You?" replied Liz as she absentmindedly played with the small, silver charm of her wrist.

"Same here. Sundays are a drag."

The conversation went on for a while, until Anthony finally said, "You know the Welcome Back dance that's coming up…"

"Yeah," urged Liz eagerly.

"Well," said Anthony with a laugh, "May I have the pleasure to be you date?"

Liz laughed too. "Of course, I'd love to go with you. It's about time you asked." She added.

"It's not my fault! I had to build up my confidence in case you said no."

"I wouldn't say no to you."

"Glad to hear that. I have to go now, sweetie. Bye" said Anthony.

"Bye," said Liz as she hung up the phone.

She dropped back onto the couch and continues to 'enjoy' her day off. A while later, Liz drifted off to sleep, only to wake up when her mother walked into the living room a few hours later.

"Honey," whispered Jo. "Wake up, let's go to your room."

"Sure, Mom," replied Liz groggily.  

Liz curled up in her bed and fell back asleep as she wrapped herself up in dreams.

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The piercing ring of the alarm clock woke Liz up. She was already half awake so it didn't affect her too much. Still, the thought of going to school made her want to sleep again. * It's all so boring * she thought as she got up unenthusiastically.

After breakfast, Liz got up and started towards the door. She stopped and turned around to face her mom. "Mom, I'm coming home late tonight. I'm going to the mall with Miranda and Steph."

"Ok hon., have fun."

School was as long and dull as ever, but at least the three girls had something to look forward to at the end of the day. During lunch, showed off her bracelet to her two best girl friends while the guys talked amongst themselves.

"…So he gave it to me and told me he loved me," said Liz as she finished telling Miranda and Steph the story.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Miranda said in awe.

"Yeah," added Steph. "I'm guessing you finally realize that you were just being paranoid with this whole Claire thing, right?"

"I suppose. Anyways, he asked me to the dance too."

"Good. We can shop for what to wear now that we all have dates." Said Steph.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the cafeteria Claire was looking over at the table were Liz and her friends were sitting. She pretended to be interested in what Kate was saying about lip gloss or something like that, but her thoughts were somewhere else. Claire was, of course, thinking about Anthony. There was something about him that intrigued and attracted her. She had been thinking about him since the previous week's party. *It's like I'm 13 and I have a crush on a boy. But, he will be mine and sooner than he and McGuire think. *

The final bell finally rang. The school day was over and the shopping spree was about to begin.  The girls were ready to go,

"I'll be right there," Liz called to Miranda and Steph; "I just have to grab put these books in my locker."

"Ok, we'll meet you at the car in a few," replied Steph.

As Liz walked down the hall, towards her locker she saw a couple leaning against a locker in what looked like passionate lip-lock. *Some people just can't keep their hands off each other* thought Liz with a laugh.

But as she drew closer, she recognized the dark, curly haired girl- and the guy she she had pinned against the locker and was kissing.

"ANTHONY!?!?" Liz shrieked.

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A/N: Aren't I evil? Hehe. What's Anthony doing? Why is he kissing Claire? Review to find out. And in case I don't update before Christmas, Happy Holidays everyone. Bye!!

Review please.


	6. Tear Stained

A/N: I rewrote the ending. It was a few minor changes so I could go onto the next chapter. Bye. Sorry it took do long.

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Chapter 6: Tear-stained 

Liz just stared in shock and the bewildered face of her boyfriend. * I was right * Tears flowed freely from her eyes and down her face. Her body went numb. The books in Liz's arms dropped to the floor, making a sound as they hit the tiles. In an instant, Liz turned away and fled. She wanted to run away, away from him and away from the heartbreak. 

Anthony quickly escaped Claire's embrace. He turned to run after Liz, but said to Claire "Why can't you get it through puny, little brain that I'm never going to like you. Is that so hard for you to understand?"

Claire was about to protest, but Anthony cut her off, "No, don't answer that. Thanks for ruining everything." Anthony ran after Liz. *Man, everything is so screwed up*

He kept running after Liz, but in his head he knew that it wouldn't matter if he caught her. She probably wouldn't even want to talk to him. He didn't his hopes down, * I have to tell her what really happened. It doesn't matter that she probably won't believe me. *

Meanwhile, Liz had noticed that Anthony was following her and was looking for a place to hide from him. *I should have known he was too good to be true * she thought as tears continued to flow down her face and splash quietly on the floor. * I can't believe he did this. Especially after he told me he wouldn't do anything with her. And after he told me he loved me. *

Anthony caught up with her. "Liz," he called ad she reached out and grabbed her hand. She reluctantly tuned around. A red line appeared on both her cheeks. The lines acted as the course for the tears that continued to run. It broke Anthony's heart to know that he had caused this, and that she looked so miserable because of him. He stared at Liz's face with a look that said, "I'm so sorry". However, Liz didn't fall for it and took her hand out of his.

"Please give me a chance to explain," Anthony said in a hurt voice. "Please."

With all her hurt and rage, Liz spat, " Why should I?"

Anthony was taken aback by the comment, but he knew she had every right to say what she had. So instead of responding, he looked at the ground and said nothing as Liz hurried off once again. This time, Anthony didn't follow her. It wouldn't have done any good. She didn't even want to look at him, much less talk to him. Anthony just slumped down against the lockers and put his head in his hands. "How am I ever going to fix this?" he murmured to himself as he sighed depressedly.

A few feet away lay a silver bracelet. Tangled and harshly thrown on the floor, but it remained intact. It still had the same glimmer and was just as strong. The only thing wrong was where it lay.

Liz's heart was broken into thousands of little pieces. It didn't matter that they had only known each other for such a short time; her feelings were still aching in pain. She kept looking for a place to hide, a place where she could collapse down and cry. After looking around she settled for a secluded corner of the school library. She sat down, curled up her knees close to her body and buried her head in her hands.

*I can't believe I was such a fool to fall for him. I'm such an idiot, I never should have put my heart out on the line. It's not worth it, love just brings you pain. *

At the school parking lot, two girls waited for their friend inside Miranda's car. Worried for her friend that was taking so long, Miranda said, "I'm gonna go and check on Liz. She's taken an awful long time." 

"I'll go with you," replied Steph who didn't want to be left alone waiting. 

The two girls walked in the brick building as they chatted about random subjects. When they reached Liz's locker, the blonde wasn't there.

"I wonder where she went," said Steph.

"Yeah, me too," added Miranda as she looked around.

"So," came a voice from behind them. "Looking for your _friend_?"

"What do you want, Claire?" asked Steph with hate in her voice, as she turned to face Claire.

"Me, nothing you can give me. You want to known where McGuire is. She took off crying after she saw me with Anthony. Too bad she had to interrupt, I almost had him."

"You slut!" exclaimed Miranda.

"Oh, that hurt," replied Claire sarcastically. "Run along, you've wasted enough of my time."

Miranda took off running, she knew where Liz was. Liz always hid at the same spot when she was down. Steph chased after her as she yelled for the brunette to slow down. Miranda kept going, and didn't notice the blonde guy that sat against the row of lockers. Steph did, and she stopped as she reached him.

"Why are _you_ so sad? You're the one that cheated on her."

Bewildered, Anthony looked up and said, "You don't know what happened."

"I don't need to hear your lies," she said angrily. Steph kneeled and grabbed the bracelet that was on the floor. "Here," she said as she threw it at him. "Give it to your new girlfriend." With that, Steph walked up the stairs and towards the library. When she got there, Liz was already finishing up with her story as she told it to Miranda.

"Lizzie," said Miranda since she was the only one that was still allowed to call her that. "Don't worry about it. We'll go to your house and figure out what to do. Ok?

Liz smiled, "Thanks." She got up and wiped the tears off her face. The three best friends headed towards the exit. 

Liz walked to her car, with Steph and Miranda trailing behind her. Liz just wanted to forget what had happened and to try escaping the pain and the heart break. She just wanted to get away. Each of the three girls got into her individual car, on their way to Liz's house. The two brunettes weren't about o let Liz go through this alone.

When they reached the large, two story house, they all stepped out and followed the depressed blonde into her room. Liz had flopped herself onto her bed and her two best friends could here the muffled sobs started again. Miranda caught Steph's eyes and looked at her sadly, telepathically saying, "This is a huge mess."

After a few minutes, Liz sat up lie a little light bulb in her head had turned on. She wiped away at her salty tears and spoke up, "You know what? I'm not going to waste my time-and my tears, crying over him. He doesn't deserve it. He's a piece of shit that I never should have loved."

Steph and Miranda stared at her bewilderedly. "Really?" they asked unanimously.

"Totally," she replied determinately. "And I'm definitely not falling for any of the crap that he's gonna try to give me to cover up what he did."

"Good girl!" Steph exclaimed.

"And," Liz continued, "I'm not even going to talk to him."

Miranda wasn't sure how this was going to work. It'd b e pretty awkward for her. Liz would expect her and Ethan to not talk to Anthony either, and that wouldn't be fair. However, she didn't mention any of her apprehensions to Liz.

Liz, empowered by her new resolution, eyed a magazine happily with Steph, failing to notice Miranda's quietness.


	7. Author's Note

Hey! I'm so sorry that I've abandoned the story!! It's not on purpose. I don't have my computer at the moment, but as soon as I get it back I'll post the next chapter. The last chapter was sort of cut off, I don't know why. I'll have to either rewrite it all again or wait until I get my computer back. I promise to update as soon as I can. Bye!! 


	8. Truth?

A/N: Finally! The chapter is here!! I'm so sorry that I abandoned the story, I really didn't mean to. Anyways, hope you like it. Read Chapter 6 again, I rewrote the end of it. P.S. No offense to jocks or anyone else I might insult in the chapter. :) PPS: If any of you watch the Bachelorette, I would just like to say that I'm totally in love with Ryan. Lol. P.S. This chapter is not really that important. Its sort of nonsense..  
  
Chapter 7: Truth?  
  
By the next day, almost everyone in school had heard about what had happened with Anthony and Claire. However, there were different reactions to it. The cheerleaders praised Claire for her devilish plan and actions; the jocks showed off their stupidity by congratulating Anthony on two- timing Liz; while the rest of the student body spent the day glaring evilly at the blonde for what he had done.  
  
Nearing the end of the week, Anthony couldn't take it anymore. He was so sick of everyone assuming he had done something wrong when he hadn't. * I can't stand that little slut. Why the hell did she have to ruin everything? * he thought exasperatedly. It had been 4 days and still no one would listen to him. Ethan barely talked to him, he was all alone.  
  
That Thursday afternoon, Anthony was sitting on the beige, plush couch in the living room staring blankly at the TV screen. His thoughts were a jumble, and he didn't know what to do. The blonde took a swig of his beer, which he was allowed to drink, and leaned back on the couch.  
  
After a few minutes, voices and laughter cold be heard from outside. Anthony turned around and saw Ethan, Gordo, and Miranda walk in the house. * Oh great, more awkward silences.* As predicted, the trio suddenly stopped talking as soon as they noticed Anthony was there. They were all uncomfortable and there was a lot of tension present in the room. Ethan got everyone some drinks and they just sat in different sofas, nervously staring at each other every once in a while.  
  
Ten minutes later, Anthony banged down his bottle on the coffee table and exclaimed, "That's it. Cut the fucking crap. You guys used to be my friends, now you don't even talk to me because of something I supposedly did. Not even you," he pointed at Ethan. "And you're my cousin for God's sake. The fact is that you guys don't know what happened. And you have no right whatsoever to treat me like shit."  
  
"I beg to differ," said Miranda matter-a-factly.  
  
"What do you know?" Anthony spat back.  
  
Miranda was getting pissed off, "I know that you hurt my best friend. That she caught you kissing Claire after you explicitly told her you fricking loved her."  
  
"Stop right there," said Anthony enraged. "I didn't kiss Claire. Umm, she kissed me. I didn't know it was her when she pushed me against the lockers. I was about to push her off when Lizzie saw us." The blonde started to calm down. "So, I tried to explain it to her, and she wouldn't let me."  
  
"Not many people would. It's not a very believable story. Still," said Gordo, "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. But, keep in mind that Lizzie is my best friend, and if you hurt her again you'll be sorry."  
  
"No worries, I won't."  
  
Ethan spoke up, "Me too, man. Even though it does seem very unlikely."  
  
Miranda kept quiet. She felt uneasy and unsure of who to believe: Anthony, or her best friend. The story did seem like something that Claire would do. "I guess I believe you too. And I'll help make her talk to you, she deserves to know the truth."  
  
A/N: This is a weird and sort of sappy chapter, my apologies. 


	9. Forever

A/N: I'm very sad… I got only one review for the last chapter. I hate to do this, but if no one reviews, I'll stop writing the story.

Anyways, please review.

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Chapter 8:

Liz was sitting on her bed, munching on some chips when the phone rang. She stretched to answer it. "Hello?"

"Liz, it's me," said the voice from the other end of the line.

The blonde girl let out and exasperated sigh and put the purple phone back on its cradle.* Why must he keep on calling and following me around? Doesn't he get that I don't want to talk to him?* The phone rang again, two minutes later.

"Yes?" said Lizzie automatically.

"Please don't hang up."

"Urgh," Liz hung up. She leaned over and disconnected the phone. She wasn't about o listen to Anthony's excuses, she knew better than that by now.

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Meanwhile, at the Craft house:

Anthony reluctantly gave up on calling Liz. There was no point in continuing to strive to get her to talk to him. * I have to think of something to do, something that'll force her to talk to me.* Ok_, that sounded a bit stalkerish._ *Still, I need to do something. I just have to figure out what.*

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Liz was walking aimlessly around her room. She was pondering on what to do about Anthony. Just when she plopped down on her bed, she felt a lump under the covers. She pulled the soft fabric that was causing the bump. It was the sweatshirt Anthony had Given Liz the day they met. Emotions flooded over Liz. She sat there staring at the sweatshirt. She knew she had to give it back, but it felt like she wasn't ready to just yet. Determined on what to do, she put the sweater on and fell asleep.

The next day, when she got to school she saw him.. Once again, she was overwhelmed by the feelings she'd had before. She really did love him, but she couldn't deal with all this drama. She couldn't face all these problems.

Anthony approached her, she knew this was coming.

"Don't leave, just hear me out,"  he said as he unconsciously placed his hand on her arm.

"And why should I?" Anthony looked hurt as soon as the words left her mouth. She gave into his blue eyes, she couldn't help it. "Fine, speak."

"Really?" he asked surprised. He couldn't believe it. She was actually giving him a chance.

"Yeah, I guess. But not now, I have to get to class."

"Then, when?" he asked eagerly.

"Um, after school at the park. Same spot as last time."

"Ok, sure."

After school, Liz headed towards the student parking lot and got into her car. She needed to make a stop at her house before meeting Anthony at the park. The sun shined strongly, making her have to squint to see. After she had grabbed what she wanted, Liz headed to the park. Anthony was already there, standing next to a wooden bench, hands stuffed into his pockets. He looked cute and extremely vulnerable.

He noticed the blonde's presence and smiled.. "Hi."

"Hey. Just finish telling me what you wanted to say." She sat down on the bench, prepared for the bullshit she was going to feed her. Anthony sat down next to her and started explaining. While he talked, Liz was thing to herself *What a bunch of crap.* She interrupted him and said, "Stop the bullshit, You could have easily pushed her off, but you _chose_ not to."

"Liz, I'm not bullshitting you. Why can't you just trust me?" he asked desperately.

"Trust you?! I barely even know you. And what I do know I don't really like." Liz lied, she had trusted him, but that confidence was broken the moment she saw him kissing Claire.

"You know what," she continued, "It doesn't matter. I didn't come here to believe what you were going to say. I came here to finish once and for all with this." She turned and grabbed her backpack. She took out a large, dark blue sweatshirt and threw it at him. "Here, that's the only thing I have of yours." Liz held back tears. It hurt her to say this. She didn't want to do it, but she had to. She had no other choice. "You are now officially out of my life. Forever."

Anthony stared down and the sweatshirt he held in his hands. He smelled it and his heart sunk. It smelled like her. Knowing he would probably never speak to Liz again, he sunk back into the bench."You're wrong," he whispered softly. "You have my heart too." Liz hadn't heard any of this, she was already driving off.

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A/N: The last lines were so corny, it disgusts even me. Oh well. 


	10. I'd Do Anything

A/N: This is sort of from Anthony's point of view. This is my first song fic, so bear with me. Disclaimer: I don't own the song "I'd Do Anything", Simple Plan and all those people do. So no suing. By the way, I cut some of the stanzas out, don't kill me for it. The '**'s mean the song. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤  
  
Chapter 9: The 'Welcome Back' dance had come and gone, and Anthony was still alone. He couldn't face the fact that it had been almost a month and he still didn't have Liz. The worst part of it was that he couldn't get her out of his head.  
  
**Another day is goin' by I'm thinking about you all the time But you're out there And I'm here waiting**  
  
A month had gone by and she still didn't believe what really happened. Lizzie had made it pretty clear that she didn't want anything to do with Anthony. Anthony had had everything, every word, planned out so perfectly but nothing had worked.  
  
**And I wrote this letter in my head Cause so many things were left unsaid But now you're gone And I can't think straight**  
  
**This could be the one last chance To make you understand, yeah**  
  
He was walking around the school, no destination in mind. He just knew that if he kept walking this way she'd pass by him. Anthony would get to see her face again and try to send telepathic messages about what had really happened that day, a month ago.  
  
**I'd do anything Just to hold you in my arms To try to make you laugh Cause somehow I can't Put you in the past I'd do anything Just to fall asleep with you Will you remember me Cause I know I won't forget you**  
  
Routinely, Anthony walked right by her. But something was different about this time. This time she said hi. Anthony was too shocked to say anything. He just kept on walking. Liz hadn't talked to her in a month, yet now she was saying hi.  
  
**So now, maybe after all these years If you miss me, have no fear I'll be here I'll be waitin'**  
  
During lunch he ate as his usual table alone. Ever since that day at the park, Anthony kept to himself. He didn't really feel like talking to anyone. Sure, he'd hang out with Ethan or Gordo some times, but most of the time he locked himself in his room. Anthony stared at Liz. She was laughing about something Steph had said, she looked genuinely happy. *Yeah, happy without me.* He buried his head in his hands, and stayed like that for the rest of the lunch period. He wasn't the guy he was when he first came here. Something was missing, something wasn't there anymore. All because of something he didn't do.  
  
When the bell rang, he stood up and went over to her. "Um, hi."  
  
**This could be the one last chance To make you understand And I just can't let you Leave me once again, yeah**  
  
Liz turned around, her hair flying behind her. Her smile sort of faded, and she said, ""Oh, hi. Did you want anything?"  
  
*Yeah, you,* he thought. "I, um, need to talk to you."  
  
"Urgh, you're not going to start again are you?" she asked nastily. *Why can't he just leave me alone? I can't deal with him again. It took too long to get him out of my head, I don't want to have to do that again.*  
  
"No, no. I'll leave you alone. Whatever, I don't care anymore. I'm sick of having to chase you around, trying to get you to talk to me. I'm tired of you not knowing that I'd do anything to have you back, for you to take me back," he said raging. "You know what? Maybe Claire did me a favor, she got you out of my life." Anthony turned around and started off towards the parking lot. He knew he shouldn't cut his classes but he couldn't care less.  
  
**I'd do anything Just to hold you in my arms To try to make you laugh Cause somehow I can't ** **Put you in the past I'd do anything Just to fall asleep with you Will you remember me Cause I know I won't forget you**  
  
He got home and ran upstairs to his room. He grabbed everything he could grab and threw it against the walls. He knew it was useless, he still loved her. He flung himself on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep to avoid and forget everything. * I just have to face the fact that I can't have her back.*  
  
**I close my eyes And all I see is you I close my eyes I try to sleep I can't forget you**  
  
Meanwhile, Liz was at school crying once again. She knew all of this was her fault, she had pushed him away, and yet she was the one crying for him. She skipped her class, but she didn't care. She needed to be alone. *No, I don't need to be alone. I need to be with him.* Liz left a message on Miranda's cell phone and she grabbed her car keys and left the school.  
  
**I'd do anything Just to hold you in my arms To try to make you laugh Cause somehow I can't Put you in the past I'd do anything Just to fall asleep with you**  
  
**To fall asleep with you With you, yeah I'd do anything To fall asleep with you I'd do anything There's nothing I won't do I'd do anything To fall asleep with you I'd do anything Cause I know I won't forget you**  
  
The car came to a stop in front of an all-too familiar, large white house. She hesitated as she got out. Liz walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ A/N: I expect reviews, so please review!! I need you!!!!! Where are my faithful reviewers?? I'm desperate, people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	11. Steps: Up or Down?

A/N: Hey!! I'm back! Hehe. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a really long time, I've just been swamped with work and getting used to my new school, etc. Anyways, if anyone can tell me how to fix the problem on Ch. 9 I'd really appreciate it. I don't know what happened to the format, and I don't know how to fix it.

Here goes.

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Chapter 10: Steps: Up or Down?

Liz stepped into the Craft house. She looked around the already familiar mansion-like house. She had been here numerous times, but never to do something like this.  The blonde had avoided coming here for about the last month, because the house held too many memories. She slowly walked over to the stair case, in complete silence. She ran her hand over the deep wood railing soaking in how much she loved this house. With every speck of will she had in her body, she made her way up the stairs.

Upstairs, Anthony was still in his room with rock music blaring at the top of his stereo speakers. Anthony hoped the music would drown out the sound of the voices in his head. It wasn't working too well. He got up to leave, with no clue where to go.

Meanwhile, Liz had finished walking up the stairs and was hesitating whether she should open the door to his room or not. *No, I shouldn't. It was a bad idea to come here. It was all a big mistake.* She reached over to touch the door handle anyway. She was about to open the wooden door, but it was opened from the inside first.

"Liz?" asked Anthony totally bewildered. "What are you doing here??"

Lizzie was shocked too, but she just said, "I needed to talk to you."

Regaining his rage, Anthony spat, "No, I'm through talking. I don't need you to come and scream at me anymore. I-"

"Just shut up for a second." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she reached over with courage that she didn't know she had and forcefully kissed Anthony. Needless to say, Anthony was totally taken aback, but he had needed this for a long time and eagerly kissed her back. Liz managed to push him back onto his bed, where her hands began roaming his chiseled body, while continuing to kiss him. Anthony, being a guy, easily went along with this. But at some point, he pulled away and said, "Liz, Lizzie stop. It's not right."

Liz looked a mixture of hurt and ashamed. She sat up on the bed and said, "Yeah, I guess I went too far. I'm sorry. I just wanted you to realize that I really do love you; it was just too hard after what happened. "

"That's the whole point," explained Anthony as he put on a shirt. "You can't love me, and I can't love you because we clearly don't know each other well enough."

"Yes we do!" protested Liz. 

"You obviously don't know me very much. If you did, you'd know that I would never cheat on you, and much less with a skank like Claire."

Outside, rain began to fall and it began to get really cold. "I know I was wrong, but I made a mistake. I just couldn't deal with you replacing me with Claire some day." Liz wrapped her arms around herself to keep herself warm. 

"And why the hell would I do that? That's what you don't get. I don't, never have, and never will like Claire. I told you that and you still didn't believe me. Maybe all of this was a mistake. Maybe we were just acting out of lust or something. We didn't know each other enough to start dating so quickly."

Liz looked out the window at the backyard. The place they met, were they had their first kiss, and where she really felt a connection with him. And now, it would the place where it all would end. "Yeah, you're right. But just so you know, I lied that day at the park. I really did trust you a lot and I felt like I had known you all my life. You had become one of my best friends." She almost whispered the last part.

Anthony looked down at the floor. "Where was all this a month ago?" he whispered. Then he spoke up, "Then maybe that's what we should be for a while: friends."

"And," Lizzie continued, "I just want you to know that I was tired of pretending I didn't love you. Because I really do, and maybe I will for a long time. But if you want to be friends for now, I'll be friends. Still, that won't erase my feelings." Liz walked up to him and hugged his 6 foot frame.

"I loved you too, but I think we need to for a while," he whispered back.

By now it was pouring outside. Lighting tore across the sky, with thunder following it. Liz had always disliked driving in the rain, and she was terrified of thunderstorms.

The two were still hugging when the phone rang. Anthony reached over and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's Ethan."

"No shit, Sherlock." Anthony joked.

"Whatever, it's just so you know that I'm gonna stay over at Miranda's house, cause I really don't feel like driving in this weather, so you've got the house to yourself."

"Oh, ok. Later," he said as he hung up the phone and put it back in its cradle.

Liz was sitting on the bed holding her legs in her arms. She was formed into a little ball. She trembled every time thunder was heard. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Um, I should-should g-go," she said, as she stood up.

"No, you shouldn't be driving in this weather. At least stay until the storm ends. Here," he said tossing a sweatshirt, "have this. You look like you're freezing." Coincidently, he had handed her the sweatshirt that he gave her the day they met.

"Thanks." She smiled. "I'll just call my parents to let them know I'm staying here for a while." She called from her cell phone and told her mom that she'd stay here until the storm passed. Oddly enough, her mom insisted that she should stay the night because she didn't want her driving around at night with wet streets. 

"Are you sure, mom?"

"Yeah sweetie. See you tomorrow. Bye." Jo hung up the phone.

*That was weird.*

Anthony had gone downstairs to get some things in case the power went out. When he came back, he said, "Is it ok for you to stay?" 

"Yeah, it's fine." Liz decided not to tell him what her mom had said, just in case something weird happened during the night. Liz shrieked when the power went out, a few seconds later.

"Calm down. It's ok. I brought some flashlights."

Liz was trembling uncontrollably. She just sat down on the floor and stayed there shivering. Anthony hugged her, trying to comfort her. "Hey, calm down. Nothing is gonna happen." Liz buried her head in his chest, looking as scared as a little girl. "It's getting late, you shouldn't drive alone in this weather. I can drive you home later if you want."

"Sure, ok." She started to calm down, and let go of Anthony. She sat on the bed and wiped her eyes with her hands. She set up the flashlight so it'd be like a lantern, which lit up half of the room. Anthony came over and sat down on the bed next to her.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asked. There was an awkward silence. 

"I don't know. We could talk or something."

"Um, ok. What do you wanna talk about?" he asked.

Liz thought for a second. Then she said, "I don't know. What have you been up to for the last month?"

From there the conversation led to every subject possible. They spent hours talking, and by the time the power came back on they were too tired to do anything else. It was about 3:00 am. Liz had been laying with her head on Anthony's legs and she had fallen asleep. He moved her slowly and placed the covers over her. He was too tired to move, and he collapsed next to her.

A/N: To say that this chapter wasn't full of useless B.S. would be a lie. I'm sorry, I just felt like writing this. Review please!


	12. Tickling Grass

Disclaimer: I don't own the cast of Lizzie McGuire.. bla, bla, bla.

A/N: Hey again. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this up. I've actually had it done for a while now but waited before posting it. Anyways, new chapter, yay. Hehe. Here goes:

Chapter 11: Tickling Grass

            A month had passed since that night at the Craft house. After an uncomfortable and a bit embarrassing explanation to Ethan about why they were sleeping cuddled in the same bed, Liz and Anthony went through with their resolution to just be friends; nothing more, nothing less. They often hung out in groups with Gordo, Ethan, Steph, and Miranda. They would all go to the movies, dinner, or just hang out at one of their houses. It took a while for Anthony and Liz to get used to their new arrangements. There were especially tough moments when they'd like nothing more than to kiss or act like they used to, but had to restrain their feelings.

That day, the girl trio was sitting on a lunch table on the school yard during their independent period. Liz was tuned out from the conversation Steph and Miranda were having, probably because they were "arguing" about who had the better boyfriend and why.  So, Liz just played with her French fries as she barely listened.

Behind her, the three guys were, for some reason or other, chasing each other. They were all laughing and panting hard as they sat themselves down on the table. They all greeted each other. Liz frowned slightly as she saw the couples kissing. *Why can't I have that?* she thought. Without realizing it, she turned and looked at Anthony and once again she thought about how much she missed him. Interrupting her thoughts, Anthony reached over and stole one of Lizzie's fries and popped it into his mouth with a wide grin.

            "Hey! That's mine!" Liz complained half jokingly as she punched him playfully on the shoulder.

            Anthony pretended to be hurt and rubbed his hand over his shoulder. Then he laughed and said, "Oh come on, McGuire. You know you love me anyway."

            Liz raised an eyebrow and joked, "Feeling a bit cocky, aren't we?" Then she burst into laughter.

            "Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie. I'm going to have to get you for that one." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Anthony started to tickle her mercilessly, taking advantage of the fact that he knew all of her most ticklish spots.

            The tickling made Liz jump out of her seat laughing uncontrollably and desperately trying to push Anthony's hands away. In between laughs, she tried to sound serious and plead, "Stop, stop." Anthony continued anyway. Liz had stood up and was trying to run away when, being her clumsy self, she tripped over a rock. Anthony tried to catch her from behind, not wanting Liz to get hurt, but he failed and they both ended up on the ground. Anthony was sort of on top of Liz, so their faces were only about an inch apart. He had most of his weight on his arms, so he wasn't completely squishing her. They both lay there for a second, unsure of what to do. Anthony was so close that Liz could smell his spearmint breath from the Altoids he enjoyed so much and his cologne, which she loved. Their eyes locked and they could sense the want in each other's eyes.  

            They stared at each other intently, unaware that their friends were staring at them. Anthony's head seemed to get closer and their lips almost brushed. From afar, a familiar male voice said, "Get a room." That's when they broke off their gaze and regained their senses. Liz said, "Um, you're kinda squishing me here."

            Anthony quickly got up and stretched out his hand to help her up. "Sorry."

            "It's ok, don't worry about it," Liz replied with a smile as she took his hand to get up. She was disappointed that they didn't kiss when they had the chance, but she knew it would go against their "just friends" rule. The thing was that this happened constantly during the last month. There were these situations where it was a pain to just be friends. Like when they were hanging out at one of their houses and Gordo and Steph and Ethan and Miranda would be wrapped up in each other and Liz couldn't do that. *I miss him.* She shook off her thoughts and proceeded to get the grass off her clothes.

            Meanwhile, Anthony stared at Liz. Every time something like this happened it reminded him of how much he wanted her back. 

            Their thoughts were interrupted by Steph, who asked, "So, what do you guys wanna do for break?" A week-long school break was coming up in a few weeks and they intended to spend it with each other, away from the parental units.

            The bunch launched in to a discussion about where they should go and for how long.  They thought about skiing, going somewhere sunny or just staying home and hanging out. They all agreed that they preferred somewhere with a lot of sun, so they decided on the beach.

            "Ok, so we agree on the beach. But which one? And where?" asked Miranda.

            "My parents have a summer house near the beach a few hours away from here. We can probably go there," offered Steph.

            Everyone else agreed. It would be nice to get out and just hang out with friends. Liz was excited, a week at the beach with friends. She smiled as she thought of all the possibilities. *This is going to be one hell of a trip.*

A/N: In case you don't understand Anthony's position "on top" of Liz, read this. His arms are on the ground like he's doing a push up and Lizzie's head is in between his arms.  I hope that helped if any of you guys were confused. The chapter is a bit short, but I promise to make it up to you on the next chapter, which will be up soon depending on the number of reviews. Also, this is a bit of a filler, it's basically only here to show you what happens after they decide to just be friends..

Review, please.


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